Middle of Nowhere
by Josephine Rayne
Summary: In the essense of May Day!, comes Middle of Nowhere. Val and Tyler are expecting a baby and are on there way to Seattle to meet Hank and his wife and daugter, Brooke and engaged Caitie and Jamie when a blizzard hits on Christmas Eve.... Completed!


In a message dated 12/25/2002 8:07:26 PM Eastern Standard Time, BaSk546840 writes:  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own In A Heartbeat  
  
In the essence of " May Day!" comes: "Middle of Nowhere"  
  
A/N: I wrote this in one day, Dec. 24th, it's just meant to be a warm, light Christmas story, so enjoy., and don't take it against me if its not so great.  
  
***  
  
"Are you sure you know where you are going?" Val Connell asked her husband as the sights buzzed by the car window.   
  
"Yup, positive. Quit worrying we still have hours till we're even in the state of Washington, let alone Seattle." Tyler smiled at his wife. "According to the map we are still in Montana."  
  
The pair lived in Chicago, as predominant doctors. This being their last Christmas before becoming parents and turning thirty had decided to have a reunion of sorts with the old squad and Caitie.   
  
"I knew we should have flown." Val further complained.  
  
"Your eight months pregnant you can't fly." Tyler said giving her a goofy wink., as Val smiled in return.  
  
"Just don't get us lost, I want to be there in time for Christmas." Val stated as she looked at her husband lovingly. After four years of marriage they still loved each other more then ever. "So have you thought of any names for this little Mr. Connell, here?" she replied warmly stoking her belly.  
  
"How about Tobias?"  
  
"Or Daniel?"  
  
Tyler laughed, "So same place as last week?"  
  
Val joined in, "Yea, undecided."  
  
***  
Caitie Roth, as impatiently as her counterpart miles away waited. Outside the busy airport terminal she could she the tiny white flakes fluttering in the sky. "Oh great," she thought, "It's snowing."  
  
"Caitie, when is our flight? I'm bored." six year old Emileigh Waite, Jamie's daughter from a previous marriage that ended with his wife's death four years before. Jamie and Caitie had met two years ago after a period of not talking between the two and now in the spring were engaged to be married.   
  
"In another half an hour, sweetie." Caitie replied playing with the small child's hair. "Let's read a story while we wait for your dad?" Emileigh nodded happily and leaped in to her soon to be stepmother's lap.  
  
***  
  
"Little Brookie!" Hank exclaimed as he picked up the blond twenty four year old and swung her around, like a dog seeing his long lost master again.   
  
"It's good to see you too, Hank." Brooke giggled. 'Where is everyone?"  
  
"Angela and Molly are at home." he stated speaking of his wife and two year old daughter. " The rest of the gang are on the way. I told them not to wait till Christmas Eve to travel." Hank smiled. "Come on I'll show you a bit of Seattle before we go to the house."   
  
***  
  
Tyler signed tying to see in the now blinding snow. Was that the road I was suppose to turn on ? He spoke to himself quietly trying not to awaken Val. At this rate he was never going to get anywhere. The road had seemly disappeared and become a white maze. Then the engine went dead.  
  
* * *  
  
"Daddy!' Emileigh said excitedly as she saw her father approach the chairs. "Are we leaving yet?"  
  
"No honey ." Jamie replied tiredly as he lifted her into his arms. "Our plane has been delayed. We're not leaving JFK tonight."  
  
Caitie smiled tying to make the best of the situation though she was anxious to get to Seattle and see Val and everyone again. Plus she hated waiting, she'd had enough of that last year when Jamie had been sick with the Cancer. So, she spread the coats across the seats and in a matter of moments Jamie and Caitie were hugging each other tightly as Emileigh slept on their laps.  
  
* * *  
  
Well, that's just great. Tyler thought. The car went dead in the middle of the road, the middle of a snowstorm and in the middle of Nowheresville, Montana. Thankfully Val was still asleep giving him an hour to think of what to do. It was getting colder, should he leave pregnant Val, while he went for help or stay and hope someone found them? Both choices didn't seem like good ones. He placed another blanket on Val as she began to stir.   
  
"Tyler?" she asked. " Why did we stop?"   
  
" The car died."   
  
"I guess next time we should stay home for Christmas huh?" Val replied rubbing her stomach. "Did you try looking under the hood?"   
  
He nodded solemnly. "But I'll try again." he spoke giving her his jacket as she shivered. "Maybe we'll get a miracle."  
  
***  
  
"Are you Caitilin Roth?" an airport security guard replied gently shoving her awake. Caitie stirred confused and wondering where Emileigh and Jamie where.   
  
" Yes, I am. What is this about?"  
  
"One of our medical personal is looking over your fiancée. He collapsed in the food court. He seems to be ok now, his daughter is with him as well. I'll take you to him."   
  
She nodded blankly . What was wrong with Jamie? Why did he collapse? He seemed fine earlier, a little tired maybe but ok. Had his Cancer returned after only seven months of remission?   
  
***  
  
It had now been hours since being stuck on the road. He had began to wonder if anyone ever passed this road. It was getting colder now and he had given nearly every warm thing to Val. He taught about sleeping but he thought it was too cold for that, cold, cold , cold. That's all he could think about. Why on Earth were they here on Christmas Eve?   
  
"Tyler." Val replied anxiously. "My water just broke."   
  
***  
  
  
  
Brooke and Hank, along with the rest of his family sat patient ally around the dinner table hoping for either Jamie or Tyler to call. Truthfully, they were getting worried.   
  
"What if we met Tyler and Val in Montana and see if Jamie and Caitie can get another flight that will take then into Montana as well." Brooke suggested. "So we can at least spend Christmas with them." With the hour growing near to midnight, she highly doubted they would all get here in time. She felt especially sorry if Emileigh had to have Christmas morning on plane.   
  
"It's Christmas Eve though do you think we'll find any planes that are not full? Especially for four." Angela Beecham said.   
  
"It's to Montana, no one is going there." Hank said as they all finally decided with Brooke. "Let's pack all this stuff up and tell Tyler and Jamie we're coming."  
  
* * *  
  
"Jamie? Are you ok?!" Caitie replied cautiously. "What happened?"  
  
"I'm fine. I just didn't have anything to eat today. Don't worry about me." Jamie said smiling, though it looked forced to Caitie. "That was Hank. He wants us to book a flight for Montana instead of Seattle. Seems we're going to meet Tyler and Val there."  
  
  
Caitie nodded. "Ok." she said also faking enthusiasm. She didn't care what Jamie said she was still worried.   
  
* * *  
  
"Push Val!" Tyler replied pretending he knew what he was doing. He practiced as a pediatrician; he hadn't delivered a baby since his internship. In his head he was praying someone would find him. His cell phone had finally managed to work so he had called an ambulance but it was taking forever to get there. He also told Hank to meet him in the hospital once his plane arrived." Come on honey I can see the head." He couldn't believe his son was about to be born in the back of a car and all his previous feelings of cold and sleep drifted away as he thought about Val and the baby.   
  
"Ok one more push." Tyler called as Val screamed out in pain. "You can do it Val!" And suddenly in that one beautiful moment, their child was born.   
  
* * *  
  
Hours later like the three wise men , flocking to the baby Jesus, Jamie and Caite and Hank and Brooke pranced the hospital room hoping to see Val and Tyler's baby.   
  
"Hey guys." Val replied cheerfully and tiredly. Both mother and baby were doing fine, despite the cold. Tyler however, had a bit of frostbite and several symptoms of hypothermia. Still, they counted themselves lucky.  
  
"Come and meet Christian-Noel Tobias Connell." Tyler exclaimed as he rocked his son.   
  
"He's beautiful." Auntie Brooke stated. "A Christmas baby."  
  
"A Christmas miracle." Hank interjected as he to circled the baby.  
  
"Excuse me." Caitie stated simply slipping out the room. She couldn't shake the feeling that something else was wrong with Jamie.   
  
"Caitie." Jamie replied as he ran after her. "What is it."  
  
"You didn't just fall did you?" she questioned her fiancée as he stared in her eyes lovingly.  
  
"I didn't want to tell you till after the holidays." Jamie continued. "But the Cancer is back. "  
  
"What?" It didn't seem fair. He had been doing so well. Seven months without the deadly disease they had made plans. Plans to get married have kids, for her to adopt Emileigh. "What are we going to do?"  
  
"Don't worry. " he said again hugging her close. "Wait until tomorrow."   
  
* * *  
  
The End--Happy Holidays!  
I hope you liked this story I wasn't sure I should post it. It was just a Christmas idea and I went with it. 


End file.
